ISP Virgin Media UK Launch New 500Mbps Broadband and TV Plan UPDATE

As expected cable operator Virgin Media UK (Liberty Global) has today unveiled their new 500Mbps download capable (35Mbps upload) ultrafast broadband package (VIVID 500), which is being introduced as part of a soft launch alongside a new triple-play V.VIP TV Bundle (average speed of 516Mbps).

The new tier is still based off Virgin’s existing EuroDOCSIS 3.0 network standard and Hub 3.0 router, not the new Gigabit capable DOCSIS 3.1 upgrade. The latter requires a new broadband router (Hub 4.0 / Gigabit Connect Box) and the operator recently revealed that they intend to launch a 3.1 based service sometime during 2019 via two initial UK cities (here), although those details are currently being kept under wraps.

As usual the actual profile (max attainable) rate for their new package is faster than the headline speed of 500Mbps (i.e. max of 575Mbps download and 38.5Mbps upload), which is because Virgin Media over-provision in order to help ensure that the majority get the expected average performance. For example, Virgin’s previous top tier of 350Mbps actually delivered an average peak time speed of 362Mbps, thanks to over-provisioning.

The new 500Mbps plan is thus being promoted alongside an average speed of 516Mbps, although at the time of writing it’s only been presented to us as part of the new V.VIP TV bundle (our sources confirmed this last week). In other words Virgin’s standalone and dual-play (broadband + phone) packages are currently still using 350Mbps for their top tier but this may change at a later date.

Details of the V.VIP TV Bundle

Broadly speaking Virgin Media appear to be tweaking their package line-up a bit and discontinuing the Mix TV bundle. On top of that they’re replacing the original VIP TV bundle with V.VIP. The new V.VIP package is set to cost from £99 inc. VAT per month on a 12 month contract term (£139 thereafter). The usual £25 one-off setup fee also continues to apply.

Aside from the 516Mbps average speed and all the usual features (unlimited usage, Hub 3.0 router etc.), customers of the V.VIP bundle can also expect to receive two v6 TV boxes, anytime UK calls, 300+ TV channels (including BT Sport, Sky Sports, Sky Cinema and Kids entertainment) and a 12 month mobile SIM with “unlimited data and minutes.”

NOTE: Existing broadband users on certain plans will also be able to get a speed “boost” by adding a Virgin Mobile SIM (inc. unlimited mins and texts).

Virgin Media are also launching a new ‘Personal Picks‘ feature, which are collections of channels and programmes, including live TV and Catch Up, that have been put together for customers to add to their core TV pack based on their interests and preferences. “This is a soft launch that will be followed by the full roll out in a couple of months,” said Virgin.

With Personal Picks, customers can thus pick and mix any of the below channels, and add them to their TV pack on a one-month rolling contract – with 30 days’ notice.

The move means that there are no TV bundles with the old top-tier speed of 350Mbps, instead it jumps from 200Mbps on the “Full House Sports & Movies TV Bundle” to 500Mbps on “V.VIP“. If you want 350Mbps then that’s still available via Virgin Media’s existing non-TV packages (at least it is at the time of writing but this may change).

Lutz Schüler, Virgin Media’s Chief Operating Officer, said:

“We’re combining the UK’s fastest widely available broadband speeds with a superfast 4G mobile network that’s faster on average than Vodafone, 02, Three and Sky, and a top-notch TV line-up to give Virgin Media customers greater choice, flexibility and an unrivalled connected entertainment experience.

Whether it’s gathering the family to watch the latest blockbuster in 4K UHD or playing Fortnite on your phone, our new bundles provide seamless connectivity for the entertainment our customers and their families love – no matter where they access it.

With lots more to come from Virgin Media later this year, our customers should stay tuned.”

However it became clear last week that those on the 350Mbps tier were at least receiving, albeit gradually (seems to be a phased roll-out), a boost in upload speed from 20Mbps to 35Mbps (same rate as the 500Mbps tier). The same sources that helped us confirm today’s news ahead of time have also informed us that faster upload speeds will follow for Virgin’s other plans too, but not until later (we’re not sure how much later but it will be during 2019).

In addition, our sources indicate that some customers on older packages will be getting free download upgrades, while customers on the short-lived 200Mbps GAMER service will go to 350Mbps at no extra cost (somewhat of an overdue change). We will try to get this confirmed later but so far Virgin’s PR team has remained tight-lipped.

Otherwise, we understand that the overall line-up will be as follows.

Standalone Broadband

Product Name

Average download speed

Contract Length

Price /Month

VIVID 50

54 Mbps

12 months

£37

VIVID 100

108 Mbps

12 months

£42

VIVID 200

213 Mbps

12 months

£47

VIVID 350

362 Mbps

12 months

£52

Broadband and Phone (* = Price after 12 months)

Product Name

Average download Speed

Phone line

Contract Length

Price /Month

VIVID 50 and Phone

54 Mbps

Inclusive weekend calls

12 months

£27 (*£44)

VIVID 100 and Phone

108 Mbps

Inclusive weekend calls

12 months

£29 (*£49)

VIVID 200 and Phone

213 Mbps

Inclusive weekend calls

12 months

£34 (*£54)

VIVID 350 and Phone

362 Mbps

Inclusive weekend calls

12 months

£39 (*£59)

At this point we expect that customers of Virgin Media Business (i.e. those with the domestic grade small biz packages) may be feeling a little miffed, since residential users will be able to benefit from the faster tier before those paying more for the small biz plans can. But fear not because a Biz package is imminent.

Meanwhile the eagle eyed amongst you will have noted an increase in post-contract price to Virgin Media’s existing broadband packages of around +£2 extra per month, although their broadband + phone bundles have maintained their first 12 month discount level (in fact the 350Mbps package is a little cheaper than before, but only for the discount period).

UPDATE 8:06am

Good news VM Biz customers, they’ve just announced the 500Mbps tier for you too, although it won’t be an automatic upgrade. From launch, eligible broadband customers are also “set to receive a free upgrade to Voom 500 if they combine their broadband with a new Cloud Voice package or one of the latest mobile data packages” (Cloud Voice routes calls over your broadband connection and gives more control, flexibility and features).

Rob Orr, VMB Executive Director of Commercial Marketing, said:

“Once again we’re raising the bar for business broadband by giving our customers the ultrafast and reliable connections they need to excel in the digital age. With a free upgrade to Voom 500 on offer for existing Voom customers when they take selected mobile or Cloud Voice services, our customers can stop worrying about their broadband and focus on using it.”

The VOOM 500 plan is available from just £62 +vat per month and customers have the option to add a business landline package with unlimited UK calls for just an additional £8 per month. The package comes with 5 static IPs and a 12-hour fault fix time service level agreement.

UPDATE 8:29am

A spokesperson for Virgin Media told ISPreview.co.uk, “We don’t have any current plans to offer [500Mbps] with our other [residential non-TV] bundles, however, watch this space as we’re always investing in our network to give our customers a first-class service.” We fully expect that standalone broadband and dual-play customers will eventually get access to 500Mbps but it’s just a question of when.

By Mark Jackson
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on Twitter, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.

If you’re the sort of customer who is complaining of lack of incentive for you to upgrade when you’ve already got a high speed from free bump ups… You’re probably not representative of the initial market they want to capitalise on.

It’s a really long story that I’m not going into. Let’s just say that requests for evidence tend to go unanswered, or whatever is provided is easily unraveled.

A guy claiming to be bonding 2 VMB services when his dslreports test shows a residential VM service and a Plusnet service doesn’t really hit the spot.

Regarding the lease line thing I can’t go into why it’s impossible here as it would be bordering on doxing which is wrong.

Jealous? Not really. I could order the same service, pay the whole lot up front and be done. I have absolutely no desire to. Much better things to spend £15k on and moving to a new place in 4 months that has FTTP anyway 🙂

I am quite happy to have VM TV full house and basic landline but am disappointed that we cannot upgrade to the 500Mbps although have noticed it says it’s not available for my area when I put postcode in.

As we provide your telephone services over our broadband, in the unlikely event of a network or power outage your telephone service won’t work, along with any other technologies connected such as security and personal alarms and health monitors. If this was to happen, you can continue using your mobile phone for Emergency Services. For customers with accessibility requirements we have measures in place to help in the event of an emergency.

I was on Vivid gamer. Last week, after reading the upload speed for those on vivid 350, called to see if 350mbps, is in my area yet. They confirmed it is, hence I’m due to be on it, from beginning of next month, at a lesser price than my previous package, but same upload speed as vivid gamer 20-21mbps upload

Isn’t it just! They are expecting more details tomorrow. Would have expected the speeds to at least have kept up with the residential services, perhaps by ditching the lowest 7 Mb/s option and adoptect 350/15, 350/20, 350/35 then adding 500/35, or as a business option maybe 500/50.

“The move means that there are no TV bundles with the old top-tier speed of 350Mbps, instead it jumps from 200Mbps on the “Full House Sports & Movies TV Bundle” to 500Mbps on “V.VIP“. If you want 350Mbps then that’s still available via Virgin Media’s existing non-TV packages (at least it is at the time of writing but this may change).”

No benefits from lower latency or any different routing. The business service is delivered over the same infrastructure as the residential service.
If you take the static IP adddress option you effectively do get slightly different routing (no better than residential though), as your traffic will traverse a GRE tunnel to break out it one of the VMB nodes where these tunnels terminate.

You do have the option of static IP addressing, but as Carl has said here, there are other ways to achieve that. On the new VOOM 500 business service the standard SLA for faults is 12 working hours from first report. This is available as a chargeable option on the other VOOM services.

The faults service used to be very good on the business side, though I haven’t had cause to use it for a long while, so that might have changed.

Indeed it has changed, Clive. My last contacts have been with Manilla, not Newport or wherever in the UK, and they’ve been able to do nothing other than run automated tests and raise tickets. Said tickets then ended up with text messages basically coming down to ‘Have you turned it off and on again?’ and were then closed.

Disappointing to hear support has got worse. It was a great service previously – I used to get through to thr team in Cardiff out of hours. You’d end up talking to the engineer that woudl start checkign the CMTS etc which I was on the line. So they have basically ruined one of the good aspects of the business service.

Big point here.. **where** do you find a **download server** (i.e, NOT a speedtest site!!!) that will download at that massive speed??
Down here is south london, the fastest I have got is 60Mbps from a driver site for an ancient gr card…

Plenty of places can deliver 500Mbps. Any good CDN will be able to. Any good download service will be able to. For example Steam, Microsoft updates, Adobe updates, JetBrains updates, Apple updates, etc, can all utilise the full speed of my 350Mbps connection. I don’t see any reason they couldn’t deliver 500Mbps too.

Lets face it, the difference between 350Mb and 500Mb isn’t going to be noticeable in 99% of use cases. It’s a marketing tool for VM to shamelessly sell on numbers.
The upload speed increase should be the headline here and it would have been fantastic to have seen a 10:1 ratio employed across the board.
Business or Residential shouldn’t matter, yeah bolt on some SLA’s and Static IP options for businesses but let the network do the talking (once you’ve figured out the congestion issues).

I hate this company they offer you great prices for 6 months your bills get doubled up within the last six months never a chance. I will join this scam company ever again happy paying less than £10 a month on 3 mobile hotspot.

I take it you live alone. My current household has me, my partner and two foreign exchange students. I’m playing online games, my partner is watching Netflix in HD and the two students are either watching stuff from their home countries over VPN or calling their friends on Video chat. Sure we can get all that in 200Mb right now but what if I get a 4k TV, or want to play games over the new emerging streaming gaming services? My guess is you need 30Mb per user as a minimum to take full advantage of current technology. Next year, it could be double.

I’d be happy with 100Mb download if the upload matched. I’m currently on their 200Mb service. Not because I need 200Mb down but because the frankly offensive 6Mb up on the 100Mb service. With pretty much everyone using online storage and offsite backup these days, 6Mb is worse than pathetic. 12Mb is still terrible but it just ain’t worth paying £139 for 38Mb.
I seriously don’t think the average consumer is even aware there’s a difference. Maybe that’s all ‘most’ people need but I’ve now got a script I send to clueless bosses moaning about the office server taking too long to save their work via VPN. 9/10 they say their internet is ‘fast’ but have no idea what their upload speed or there was a difference. Same goes for the small company using (V)DSL for their main internet connection.

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